Means for exploding torpedoes



(No Model.)

W. RAMSDEN. MEANS FOR EXPLODING TORPEDOES.

No. 470,705 Patnted Mar. 15, 1392;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

VILLIAM RAMSDEN, OF BUXTON, NORTH DAKOTA.

MEANS FOR EXPLODING TORPEDOES.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,705, dated March15, 1892.

Application filed May 9, 1891- Serial No- 392,l96. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM RAMSDEN, of Buxton, in the county of Trailland State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is primarily designed to be utilized in connectionwith the sinking of oil and Artcsian wells. In sinking such wells rockis very frequently encountered which cannot be penetrated by the usualboring or drilling instruments, and in such cases further progress canonly be made by shattering the obstructing rock-as, for example, byexploding a torpedo at the bottom of the well. As hitherto conducted,the process of so exploding a torpedo in well-boring has been attendedwith considerable difficulty and danger. The means which have beencommonly employed with a view to properly effecting the explosion havebeen difficult to manage, especially in that it is diificult to insurethe torpedo being in contact with the rock to be shattered at theinstant of the explosion. Furthermore, there is danger of totallydestroying the well-casing itself as the result of premature explosionof the torpedo. Consequently it has often been the case that when rockis encountered in the sinking of a well the well is abandoned andstarted in a new locality rather than accept the risk attendant upon theexplosion of torpedoes, according to the commonly-employed methods.

Now the special object of the present invention is to provide efficientand convenient means for removing rocks encountered during the processof sinking wells; and to this end the invention consists in an improvedconstruction and arrangement of the firing instrumentalities foreifecting the explosion of a torpedo at the bottom of a well.

The method of exploding a torpedo contemplated by the present inventionconsists in bringing it forcibly in contact with the rock at the bottomof the well, thus firing a fulminate carried by the torpedo, and soarranged between and in contact with two rela: tively-immovable partsthereof thatit will be fired by the concussion produced by forcing thetorpedo against the rock.

The detail constructionand arrangement of parts constituting theinvention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows invertical longitudinal section a torpedo constructed in accordance withthe present improvements.

Referring to the drawing, A is the cylindrical outer casing of thetorpedo, which is conical at its lower end, as shown. The conical lowerend B of the casing is a solid piece of metal, which is firmly joined tothe cylindrical portion of the casing and closes the lower end thereof,constituting the lower extremity or point of the torpedo. The conicalextremity B of the casing is provided at the center of its upper surfacewith a cylindrical chamber or cavity a, into which is placed afiring-cap I), having a suitable fulminate c at its bottom. The cap I)rests on the bottom of the cavity a, and it is held in contact therewithby a rod or needle 0, which is introduced from the top of the casing A.The rod or needle 0 enters the cap and rests on the top of thefulminate, so that the fulminate is firmly held by and between the endof the rod or needle 0 and the solid metal which constitutes the bottomof the cavity a. Preferably the lower end of the rod or needle 0 is madeslightly tapering, so as to facilitate its insertion intothe cap I), andits upper end extends up beyond the top of the casing. When the rod orneedle has been properly inserted, so that its lower end is in contactwith the fulminate, nitro-glycerine or other explosive D is introducedinto the interior of the casing A and is filled in around the rod orneedle C until the casing is full. The upper end of the casin g is thenclosed by a cap or cover E, having a central aperture through which therod 0 passes. The explosive material, together with the cover E, holdsthe needle 0 in place and maintains it immovably with reference to thefulminate.

The essential and characteristic feature of the construction of torpedojust described is that the fulminate c is held by and between therelatively immovable parts B and O and so located that the fulminatewill be fired and the explosive D exploded by simple concussion in themanner below set forth. The cap I) is simply a convenience inconstruction, since it enables an ordinary cap to be used as the meansof applying the fulminate to the part B.

The method by which it is proposed to effect the explosion of thetorpedo is as follows: When a rock is struck in the process of boring awell, the drill rods are drawn up and the torpedo is rigidly attached tothe lower drill-rod in place of the tool with which the drilling wasbeing done. The upper end of the rod or needle C of the torpedo isscrewthreaded, so as to enable it to couple with the drill-rods.Thetorpedohavingbeen attached, the drill -rods are lowered until thepoint of the torpedo rests firmly and securely upon theobstructing-rock. in position to be exploded, the explosion beingeffected by striking the end of the upper drill-rod at the mouth of thewell. The blow at the mouth of the well is communicated through thedrill-rods and the needle 0 of the torpedo to the fulminate, which isexploded by the concussion, thus effecting the consequent explosion ofthe torpedo.

If desired, instead of exploding the torpedo by means of a blow at themouth of the well the same result maybe accomplished by dropping thetorpedo from some point above the bottom of the well after a certainlength of drill-rods has been attached thereto, the explosion in thatcase resulting from the striking of the rock by the torpedo and the mo-0 mentum of the needle 0 and the attached drill-rods. Then after theexplosion has taken place the rods may be drawn to the surface by any ofthe means usually employed for elevating drill-rods and sucker-rods.

It will be seen that the solid metallic extremity B of thetorpedo-casing constitutes what may be called an anvil, the fulminatebeing so held between the anvil B and the rod or needle 0 that theconcussion between the torpedo and the rock is communicated to thefulminate, thus causing the explosion. The conical shape of the anvil Bserves to guide the torpedo and to insure it coming in contact with theobstructing rock, since any loose earth which may rest on the surface ofthe rock will be penetrated by the sharp point of the conical anvil.

The method by which I provide for the explosion of the torpedo isexceedingly simple, and yet it overcomes the serious difficulties ofprevious and more complicated methods. By the present improved methodthe torpedo is exploded just at the surface of the obstructing rock, andthere is no possibility of error or mistake as to the time or place ofthe explosion, since the explosion can only take place at the bottom ofthe well, and the time of the explosion is governed by the simpledropping of the torpedo or by the striking of the drill-rods at themouth of the well. It is preferable in most cases to fire the torpedo bystriking the upper drill-rod at the mouth The torpedo is then method ofthe drill-rods being thrown out of' the well or of the well-casin gbeing destroyed. The needle 0 extends entirely through the explosivematerial to the bottom of the cylinder A, so that when the explosionoccurs all the forces exerted on the needle are lateral and balance eachother, so that there is no upward movement of the needle and of theparts attached thereto. Consequently there is no danger to theoperatorsat the mouth of the well.

I claim as my invention- 1. A torpedo for wells, having noindependently-movable part, but having 'an anvil on which the fulminateof the torpedo is located, and a firing-needle in connection therewith,one end of which is held permanently incontact with the fulminate andthe other end of which is adapted to be rigidly secured to a drill-rod,substantially as set forth.

2. In a torpedo, the casing A, containing an explosive, the anvil B atthe bottom of said casing, and the fnlminate located on said anvil, incombination with the rod or needle 0, held permanently in contact withsaid fulminate, substantially as set forth.

3. In a torpedo, the casing A, containing an explosive, the solid anvilB, constituting the bottom of said casing and having a cavity cttherein, and the fulminate in the bottom of said cavity, in combinationwith a rod or needle 0, the lower end of which enters said cavity and isheld in contact with said fulminate, substantially as set forth.

at. In a torpedo, the cylindrical casing A, containing an explosive, theconical anvil B, constituting the lower extremity thereof, and thefulminate located on said anvil, in combination with the rod or needle0, oneend of which is held in contact with said fulminate and the otherend of which extends upward IIO through said casing and projects beyondthe \VILLIAM RAMSDEN.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR S. BROWNE, SAML. O. MILLs.

